Airtel Africa PLC said its artificial intelligence–powered spam detection service flagged more than 205 million unwanted text messages across 13 of its 14 markets in the past six months, underscoring the company’s push to strengthen consumer protection as mobile adoption rises on the continent.
The free service, called Spam Alert, automatically tags suspicious short message service (SMS) content with the label “SPAM Alert” and provides real-time updates, eliminating the need for subscribers to download third-party applications to block nuisance messages.
Kenya recorded the highest number of spam messages detected at 68 million, followed by Tanzania and Zambia with 47 million and 33 million, respectively, Airtel said.
Nigeria posted the steepest decline in unwanted texts, with spam traffic dropping 84 per cent since the service launched. Overall, the tool has helped reduce spam SMS by 12 per cent across the group’s footprint.
The company has rolled out the feature in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, Malawi, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad and Niger. Seychelles, Airtel’s smallest market, is expected to join soon.
Sunil Taldar, Airtel Africa CEO, said, “We are proud to pioneer an advanced tech solution powered by AI in tackling spam messages that are a major concern in Africa as smartphone penetration increases. This free service is yet another demonstration of our commitment to consistently innovate to deliver an unmatched experience and safer network to our customers.”
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The Spam Alert system uses AI algorithms to analyse and classify SMS messages in real time based on parameters such as sender behavior and messaging frequency.
The move comes as carriers across Africa step up investments in digital infrastructure and services to improve user experience and build trust in mobile platforms that increasingly serve as gateways for payments, banking, and digital commerce. [BusinessDay]
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